Gary Janssen

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Gary Janssen

Republican Party

Prior offices

Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Place 1

Successor: Kelly Nicole Crow

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Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4

Successor: Dora Olivo

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Report an officeholder change

Education

Associate

Marion Military Institute, 1977

Bachelor's

University of Houston, 1982

Law

South Texas College of Law Houston, 1989

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1975 - 1991

Personal

Birthplace

Houston, Texas

Religion

Christian

Profession

Justice of the Peace

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Gary Janssen (Republican Party) was a judge for Precinct 4 of the Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace in Texas. He assumed office on January 1, 2022. He left office on October 30, 2023.

Janssen (Republican Party) ran for re-election for the Precinct 1 Place 1 judge of the Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace in Texas. He won in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Janssen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Janssen was born on January 1, 1957, in Houston, Texas. He graduated from the Marion Military Institute in Alabama with an associate degree in 1977. From there, he received his bachelor's degree from the University of Houston in 1982 as well as his J.D. from the South Texas College of Law Houston in 1989. He served in the United States Army, both on active and reserve duty, from 1975 to 1991. Janssen has supported a number of charitable and civic organizations in Fort Bend County. He practiced law for 20 years before becoming a justice of the peace and has served as an associate judge for the cities of Sugar Land, Richmond, and Rosenberg in Texas. He also began serving as the City of Needville Municipal Judge on January 1, 1999.

Elections

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Fort Bend County, Texas (2020)

General election

General election for Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Place 1

Incumbent Gary Janssen defeated Cody Moore in the general election for Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Place 1 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gary Janssen (R)	51.7	38,686
		Cody Moore (D)	48.3	36,190

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 74,876
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Place 1

Cody Moore advanced from the Democratic primary for Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Place 1 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cody Moore	100.0	10,591

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,591
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Place 1

Incumbent Gary Janssen advanced from the Republican primary for Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Place 1 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gary Janssen	100.0	12,169

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,169
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Gary Janssen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Janssen's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Serving as Justice of the Peace is more than a job to me . . .it's a passion to do the right thing - applying the law, impartially - every time. It allows me the unique opportunity to serve the community, help mold our youth into productive citizens, and protect society from those who would victimize people or animals. I have both the experience and the drive for expending extra time and effort on these important responsibilities.

I am honored to have been elected to serve the citizens of Fort Bend County since 2009. I believe that every person that comes to court deserves to have their case heard by an attentive, knowledgeable and competent judge. Additionally, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect at all times.

I am passionate about helping and encouraging children to become the best they can be, which usually starts with them getting an education. I work diligently to build their self-esteem and encourage them to finish high school or learn a trade, so they can provide for their families and become productive, self-reliant citizens.

I believe my many years' experience and proven strong desire to help keep our community safe are key qualities for serving in this role as your Justice of the Peace.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Experience matters.
• LET'S KEEP OUR COMMUNITY A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE AND RAISE FAMILIES!
• Be sure to VOTE ALL THE WAY DOWN to the bottom of the ballot. Local leaders have a significant impact on your daily life.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Judges don't set public policy. We rule on the laws provided under the U.S. Constitution, Texas Constitution and the laws passed by the Texas Legislature and U.S. Congress. I follow the laws and do not legislate from the bench.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

No. I believe in treating people the way I want to be treated. That means with dignity and respect. I learned those things from my upbringing, and not from a book, essay or film.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty and integrity.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have a strong work ethic and will make sure the job gets done, and done right!

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Run the court efficiently so that cases are heard promptly, by a judge that is well-prepared and knowledgeable of the law.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want people will recall me as a judge that treated everyone with dignity and respect, that I was prepared, that I listened to them, and I ruled based on the law and the evidence.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

In 1963, I was in first grade at Kelso Elementary School in HISD. My dad worked long hours, so my neighbor watched out for me in the morning before school and then again in the afternoon until my dad returned home.

I was 6 years old, and my neighbor took me out of school early that day. She, her husband and I drove to Hobby Airport, where we walked onto the tarmac and up to some stanchions. There were only a few people in the beginning, but more people would walk up and join us. Being small, I squirmed my way through the growing crowd to the front.

Soon, President John F. Kennedy walked down some stairs from a nearby airplane and walked right toward me! He stood only a few feet from me and spoke to everyone for a few minutes. Then suddenly, the stanchions were lowered, and the crowd rushed forward to greet him. I stood frozen as the crowd swarmed about me to get to the President.

I still recall my babysitter saying she was so happy that I did not move, so she didn't have to try to pull me out of the crowd of people!

I recall that very vividly. I was quite shocked and saddened when, only a short time later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. I still recall the emotion at school when we learned of his death, and everyone was sent home.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

I have a very somber obligation to review and determine if someone should be denied their freedom and taking into custody for a mental health evaluation. Now, more than ever, we are experiencing a mental health crisis in this country. I routinely receive requests from family members, hospitals and mental health authorities, to order someone to undergo a mental health evaluation.

I take these matters very seriously. It is a very difficult decision to deny someone their freedom when they haven't broken any laws. It is often difficult to determine if someone's mental health condition is so serious that they are at risk of harming theirself or someone else.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

I believe every judge should be prepared for the cases that will be heard. I review every file, and read every pleading, before each docket. I think it is my responsibility to be prepared, with knowledge of the allegations and the applicable law.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

As a young lawyer, I spent a great deal of time in Judge Thomas Stansbury's family law court, in Fort Bend County. I learned that it takes a great deal of patience and compassion to be a good judge.

My predecessor, Judge Gary "Ike" Fredrickson and Judge Gary A. Geick also influenced me. I saw how they were able to help people at the lowest level of the judiciary and I decided that I wanted to follow in their footsteps.

I admired what they were able to do to help people that couldn't afford to go to higher level courts, where filing fees and attorney expenses were beyond their ability to pay.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Yes! Just because someone has made a mistake that resulted in them being in a justice court, doesn't necessarily mean they are a bad person. It means they made a mistake. Sometimes, those mistakes are the result of unusual circumstances, and those factors should be considered when determining a judgment that complies with the law.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

No

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I have enjoyed serving the citizens of Fort Bend County and Precinct 1. I have the experience and expertise to do the job well.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

I don't think experience in politics is what it takes to make a good judge, but I do think it is important to understand how government works. Judges run their court, but they have to do so within the budget that is set by those that don't know how the court operates. It is important to have a good relationship with the County Commissioners Court and other department heads. Previous experience in government is important.

Would you be interested in serving on a higher court in the future? If so, which court appeals to you?

No. I am doing the job I want to do, and have no aspirations to do someone else's job.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

Yes. It is better to be rated by someone that knows what a judge should do, rather than by someone that is merely unhappy with the outcome of their case.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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External links

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Candidate

Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Place 1

Website

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Footnotes

Texas courts

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Federal courts:

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas

State courts:

Texas Supreme Court • Texas Court of Appeals • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Texas District Courts • Texas County Courts • Texas County Courts at Law • Texas Statutory Probate Courts • Texas Justice of the Peace Courts

State resources:

Courts in Texas • Texas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Texas